A Different World (of Wacraft)
by Lord Alania
Summary: A collections of stories set in my own personal AU of the Warcraft universe. A number of disconnected ideas that somehow make a cohesive timeline (I hope)


Respect, Tenacity, Compassion.

Those were the three pillars upon the faith in the Light rested. They were values that one such as Eitrigg had not lived by most of his life. Whom had he respected? He did not respect his people and family or even himself, loved them yes, but he could not respect those who had given in to the demon blood like he did. Tenacity one could argue is universal within the orcish spirit, but that makes true tenacity in the face of adversity harder to find; and for Eitrigg, who had abandoned his people in their hour of need when his sons died could not see such a quality within himself. Compassion should be easy to describe, Eitrigg had none as was customary for the orcs. What compassion had they had when the Horde slaughtered the Draenei? When they invaded Azeroth? Or even before they drank the demon blood?

But Eitrigg knew that the man in front of him, bleeding to death in an alleyway and covered by rain amidst the sound of thunder, understood perfectly those values. Tirion Fordring had been a paladin of the Holy Light, one of the first. He lived, studied and taught these values. He tried teaching them to Eitrigg, he realized now. And yet, following them was that led to this mess, his skull half-cracked.

Eitrigg remembered when they first met, in the long abandoned tower that he had called home for over a decade. In that battle, Eitrigg fought well and, in a manner of speaking, won. But despite the risk to his life, Eitrigg saved the paladin, put him on his horse and sent him home. When he returned it was not to fight. In that moment, perhaps because it was the first person to meet him, or perhaps due to their similarities no matter how much the idea balked him; Eitrigg had a friend. Tirion kept visiting the following months, before their arrest, and those times he had stayed for hours as they talked, of the war, of their children, and of their faith. He asked much about the spirits and he shared much about his Light.

"In a way" Tirion had said, "you represent those values better than most, even some of my junior paladins"

Eitrigg had looked at him with his brows furrowed and looked at him for a long moment before giving a tired sigh.

"I honestly doubt that, human" Eitrigg lifted his head, seeming to look into nothing. "We, the orcs, have not use for the values you hold dear, not since the demon blood."

"And yet when we met you respected me as an opponent, fought tenaciously against me for your freedom and showed compassion when you saved me", said Tirion now looking to the sky. "Perhaps you would have made an excellent paladin"

With this conversation in mind, ignoring the human soldier approaching him, ready to strike; Eitrigg fell to his knees and begged for the first time in his life. _Please, please, do not let him die for me. Please, please save him for he deserves it more than me. Please, please give me the power to heal him and I will be yours, now and always._ For Eitrigg, who had lost faith long ago in anything, who was bleeding inside and felt his life escape him; this should have been the end.

So no one, absolutely no one, expected it when the clouds parted and in the middle of the storm that seemed to cover the city a single ray of light covered Eitrigg. For the first time in years, Eitrigg knew he was not alone, that there was something, a warmth within and without that protected him and was willing to guide him to victory. But protection and victory were not his only desires. He only wanted to heal his friend, _his brother_.

Light coursed through his hands and as it illuminated the alleyway, the light covered everything with its presence: Eitrigg, Tirion and the human soldier. The light shone brightly before focusing the entirety of its bright on Tirion and then it disappeared. Eitrigg saw Tirion, now longer on laid on the floor, but on his knees, panting and trying to catch his breath. Eitrigg approached to help him, before he himself felt tired. The Light, that foreign power, had taxed him in his first use. Weakened, he did not see the hammer until it was almost too late. The human soldier had swinged it towards Eitrigg's head, but he managed to avoid it by taking a step sideways. Eitrigg lost balance and felt to the ground, and from there took a better look at the soldier. He was not just a soldier. His armor was the more elegant one, covered in runes of the paladins. His expression was one of anger, disgust and other emotions Eitrigg could not place.

The paladin raised his hammer, ready to swing it at the orc to end his miserable life, to end the heresy that he just witnessed. But just as he put his hammer over his head, something impacted his head. The young paladin, Barthilas, was struck in the head; and barely managed to regain his footing before and blow impacted his head again. Now Barthilas fell to the ground, dead or unconscious, Tirion would not know, his artisan's hammer with only a smidge of Barthilas's blood.

Tirion turned to his friend Eitrigg, now on the ground, looking exhausted, his breathing fast and almost ready to pass out. Tirion took Eitrigg's arm, and using his own shoulder as support for the orc, proceeded to get out of the city. They had to hurry, the sounds of fighting between the orcs and the guards of Stratholme was dying out. They had little time to ponder on what just happened. On the miracle the Light had granted, even if it was not the last miracle that would be granted today.

The next thing Eitrigg knew, or better said, felt, was the same power and warmth that had empowered him earlier. Its warmth remembered him of a campfire shared among friends, of the embrace of his dead mate, of the hugs he wished he could have given to his two sons.

It was with these feeling given by the Light that he awoke in a small clearing in the forest. The first thing he saw as the warmth disappeared was…

"Human?" Eitrigg asked. "What's happened? How did we get here?" Tirion got to his knees and patted the orc reassuringly on the shoulder.

"We're outside the city, Eitrigg," Tirion said evenly. "You're safe for the time being. If we're both very lucky, there'll be no more hangings in our immediate future." Eitrigg grunted and looked at Tirion doubtfully. He glanced down at his big green hands and traced his fingers over where his wounds had been.

"The power you have, human" the orc began, but could not find the words. To explain his feeling and to make sense of the events of that day.

"The Light healed you. You told me before that pain is a good teacher. Well, you were about to have your final lesson. It would have been a rough one, I think," Tirion said jokingly.

Eitrigg grinned and put slapped Tirion on the back. "Perhaps pain has taught me all it could. But there is still much to learn" said Eitrigg wryly. "The Light… what it did for me, for us… There is much I still need to learn, Tirion" said Eitrigg now solemnly, looking at Tirion straight in the eye.

Tirion knew this to be true. For Tirion, Eitrigg and he were now brothers, just like Tirion had been with the rest of the Silver Hand, the paladins. It was while sharing this moment, while making this decision that could affect the future for good that both Tirion and Eitrigg fell to the ground. Light or not, healing or not, they were exhausted. The events of the last few days had taken its toll. They needed their rest.

But it was not long before they heard a sudden rustling in the dense branches and undergrowth around. From the shadows of trees began to move the huge, dark shapes of the orcs that had been their unknowingly allies in their escape.

For Tirion, these warriors were striking. Not because of their size, or their loose plate armor, tusked faces, or broad-bladed axes and heavy warblades. But their eyes, no longer ablaze with depravity and hate, but and alertness and intelligence Tirion would have once never attributed to them.

The orcs stared at them, not making a move. Tirion was thankful for that. In his current state, now tried to stand alongside Eitrigg, but with a tremor across their entire bodies, he wouldn't be able to fight against a single one of them, much less all the orcs surrounding them. It was then that a massive orc revealed himself. He was different from any orc Tirion had ever seen. He stood straight as he walked towards them; his warriors, because what else could they be, stepping aside for him. He wore not armor, but a robe made of leather and a necklace of prayer beads, that seemed to belong not to a warrior but a priest. Yet, he carried a massive warhammer with such an ease it actually seemed fit for one hand. And his eyes, his eyes were of a blue color that showed such intelligence and wisdom. The Light was not with these orcs, but something within him, the warmth of the Light in him, whispered that they were to be trusted, especially this orc.

"You are Eitrigg of the Blackrock clan, are you not?" said the orc in common, perhaps to the benefit of the human in their midst.

"I am he" answered Eitrigg, taking a shaky step forward

"I thought so. It's taken me a long time to track you down, old one" he said evenly

"Your face is familiar to me. But you are far too young to be . . ." Eitrigg studied the orc's strong features for a moment and said, "Who are you?"

The orc nodded slightly and stood up to his full height. The gathered orcs seemed to straighten and lift their chins high as their leader spoke. "I am known as Thrall, old one. I am Warchief of the Horde," he said proudly. Eitrigg's jaw dropped wide open. Tirion stared in awe

"W-What does the Warchief want with me?" asked Eitrigg, looking evenly into Thrall's eyes.

"I seek the elders of our race to help me. Our people have been lost for too long, Eitrigg. As puppets of demons, we destroyed our world and tried to destroy this one. No longer!" Thrall's gaze turned hard and he extended a hand to Eitrigg. "The way of the shaman has been returned to us. The spirits of this world, of Azeroth give us a chance at redemption. Join me, Eitrigg. Help me set right the Horde and complete my father's work"

Eitrigg's eyes were wide with sudden recognition. "Your father's work?" he sputtered excitedly. "I knew I recognized your face! You are the son of Durotan!"

"I have come to bring you home, old one," he said warmly. "We need you"

Eitrigg extended his hand, to grasp the Warchief's hand, but stopped halfway. He looked to the Warchief with apprehension and guilt, before turning to stare at Tirion, who had watched the encounter silently. For the first time, Thrall turned to look at the paladin, brow furrowed, with some curiosity not present before.

"I-I want to join you, but…" said Eitrigg looking down. He cupped his hands, and with his eyes closed seem to focus. In that moment, a glow came from his hands, shining brightly to the surprise of the orcs that surrounded him. Their face filled with surprise, completely at odds with how impassive they were before. Only Thrall remained undisturbed, still looking at Tirion, as if Eitrigg had not just performed the impossible.

"This power, the power of our enemies chose me for a reason. I need to learn of it. I want to follow you, son of Durotan. But I think even the spirits will agree my destiny is to follow this path" murmured Eitrigg, still focused on his prayer

As the light dim, and Eitrigg opened his eyed, Tirion took a step forward and spoke to the Warchief, looking straight onto his eyes

"Warchief! I am Tirion Fordring, paladin of the Light. Today, Eitrigg saved my life in the city when I was injured. He called upon the Light to heal my injuries. Then here in the forest, I who has been excommunicated from my order, so too used the Light to heal him" Tirion looked around to the orcs that surrounded him. He barely noticed some of them wearing not plate but leather and headdress made in the manner of wolf's head, looking at him with the same curiosity that the Warchief had in his eyes.

"The Light" said Tirion "works in mysterious ways. I do not know what it wants from me, but I cannot ignore this miracle and what it means, for me and for you."

Tirion looked back to the Warchief. "Eitrigg told me much about your father. He spoke of an orc who kept his honor, even when the world that surrounded him felt apart. I…" Tirion licked his lips, trying to find the words. He said, in his trial, that he wouldn't betray the Alliance, but this was…

"Let me teach Eitrigg… Let me teach your people the ways of the Light." Upon saying this words, the circle of orcs exploded in chattering. Their previous calm broken by everything witnessed, only the ones with the wolf headdress still looking him with curiosity, and only the Warchief remained silent. None of them made a move towards the duo in the center, but the way a couple barred their teeth told Tirion it was close.

Thrall stopped looking at the paladin, now lowering his gaze to his warhammer, held with his two hands. The orc closed his eyes, ignoring the shouts of his warriors. Tirion woudn't know, but the Warchief did know of the Light. He had practically been raised from birth by practitioners of that faith, even if he never adhered to it. Less so now, that he was a shaman, a Farseer for his people, and he knew that one day even more.

In that moment, Thrall separated his hands, extending them to his side to everyone's shock. In his right hand, the warhammer now looked alive with lighting. In the left one, a copy of the hammer, made of molten lava, appeared. Thrall used the latter one to strike at Tirion, fast enough that he could not even react. But the hammer vanished, only the heat remaining as the only evidence of its existence.

Thrall lowered his Warhammer, an ordinary one once more; looking at Tirion with what he thought was the shadow of a smile and a look of approval.

"We came here, paladin," spoke Thrall, now with a grave voice, his face now in a more neutral expression "because the spirits called upon me. Because events of great importance would happen today. I thought they wanted me to find Eitrigg. I see now that there was more."

Thrall turned from the paladin and barked orders to his warriors in the orcish language. They began to retire into the woods, still somehow shaken. Thrall then looked at Eitrigg with a smile on his face"

"I would accept your services, Eitrigg. The Horde will welcome you once again, as a family, if you wish." Thrall then turned to Tirion. "And you, paladin, are welcomed among us. You risked your life to save our brother. You have my permission to preach the Light to my people. But remember, we follow the will of the spirits. Respect that."

With that last order, the Warchief turned his back and began following warriors. Tirion finally felt his knees give up and fell to the ground. The Light had not betrayed him, he had followed its values and kept his honor. But a part of him wondered now, a part still with the Alliance, with his family and people, if this was a mistake.

Eitrigg put a hand on Tirion's shoulder and lifted him to his feet. "Come, brother. We have much to do"

Tirion began walking, his spirit somewhat lifted by Eitrigg's words. By blood and honor, they were brothers now. By the will of the Light, they walked the same path now. He would not regret it.


End file.
